Motor-propelled ball.



J. G. AYERS, R. MOTOR PROPELLED BALL.

APPLICATION FILED MAE. 3, 1910 633,077. Patented July 23, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. G. AYERS, JR.

MOTOR PROPELLED BALL. APFLIQATI N FILED MAR. 21, 1910.

Patented July 23, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. G. AYERS, JR. MOTOR PROPELLED BALL. APPLICATION IILED MAR. 3, 1910.1,033,077. Patented July 23, 1912.

4 SHEI ITSSHBET 3.

Hlll I IIIHHIH Jae 4 {yerq a J. G. AYERS MOTOR PRQPELLED BALL.APPLICATION FILED MAR. s, 1910.

Patented July 23, 1912.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

UNITED STAflTES PATENT OFFFCE.

JOSEPH GERRISH AYERS. JR... OF STEELTON. PENNSYLVANIA.

MOTOR-PROPELLED BALL.

To all whom it may. concern:

lie-it. known that l. JOSEPH (i. YERS, .liz,

av citizen of the United States, residing at Steelton, in the county ofDauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented c -r tain new anduseful linproveiiients in Motor-Propelled Balls, of which the followingis a specification.

The present invention relates to movable toys, and the piililiiy object.is to, provide a self-propelled body or object. in which the propellingmechanism is concaled. so that when in operation. said toy will excitethe interest and wonderment of a beholder, not conversant with theinternal structure thereof.

A further and important object is to provide means for predetcriiiiiiingthe path of movement of the object or body, in order that it may hecaused to travel in a prescribed path, thus not only adding to theinterest of seeing itin operation. but even making it appearextraordiiiaiy in its gy rat ions.

A general object is to providea toy of the above character thatcan becheaply manufactured, and can also he eniploved for use in games ifdesired.

While the invention may be enibodied in various ways, in order toexemplify theview through still another inoi'lificatioii, in-

volving a structure which provides for caiising the sphere to describethe figure 8. Fig.

6 is asectional view through a toy enibodying the invention, anddesigned to travel in l a spiral path.

wherein is employed means for detei-min- Fig. 7 discloses a structurepath is made variable. Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a structure thatwill move in a t will .not thus turn. The proper weightcan 110 circle.Fig. i) is a diagrammatic vie\\ illustrating various paths of movementthat the toy may have.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 3. 1910.

inga path of movement for the toy, but said Patented Jiily23, 1912.

Serial No. 547.148.

Similar refeience numerals designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of thei drawings.

Referring [ii-st to the embodiment dis- (l(ise(l in Figs. l-? inclusive,it will be noted that a rolling body or casing '01 shell it) is employedthat is spherical in form, vi'/.., a hollow ball, though it will beevident thatit is not necessary to have a true 5 sphere. This casing maybe made of metal, or other suitable material. that is light in iweiglit.and preferably comprises sections 11 and 12. secured together by aninternal 'tlaiige or band 1 that bridges the joint bet-weeii saidsections. A pair of brackets 14, or other suitable supports are arrangeddiametrically opposite to each other within the shell, and jouriialed inthese. brackets. is z shaft 15. one-end of which preferably terminutesshort of the casing wall. the other 7 end being angular in form, asshown at- 16, and disposed at an opening 17 formed in the casing wall.This opening is for the purpose ttf 'pt'l'tililiilig' a winding crank IS30 or key to be fitted on to the angular end of the shaft. The oppositeend portion of said shaft is provided with a ratchet wheel 15), theteeth of which are engaged by a (log 20 pivoted on the adjacent bracket.

Loosely g5 hung on the shaft 15 is a substantially U- shaped motor frame21, that is held against longitudinal movement on the shaft by anysuitable means. as for instance, collars or enlargements 22 embracingone arm of the frame. spring motor is mounted in and itll'l'lttl withthis frame. and in the form shown. ((ilii|)ii a shaft 23, .to which is,attached the inner end of a helical spring 24, the outer end beingconnected by a pin to the frame. Secured tothe shaft a gear wheel 16that meshes with a pinion 27 fasl upon the shaft 15. The operation ofthis structure is substantially as follows:--

plied to the angular end it; of the shaft 15 Land the shaft revolvedthereby, it will be evident that the pinion 27 will be rotated, thusrotating the gear wheel '26 and windvio is that the tendency of llllfitilXlttllOll will lie to turn the entire motor with its 5 frame aroundthe shaft. but the motor and frame are made heavy enough so that they ofcourse be determined by experiment. and i if the mechanism is notsufficiently heavy, r

If a winding device. as the crank 18. is ap l l iiig the spring '34. l twill of coursebe obl or the spring has too much resistance, the framecan be suitably weighted. I-laving thus wound the spring, it will beevident that if it is released, said spring,- \Vill retract,

and thereby tend to rotate the gear wheel 26, consequently revolving thepinion 2? and the. shaft 15. This shaft, however, i!- now held againstrotation with respect ti the casing by the dog and ratchet devi j 1S and20. Therefore, the casing is caused ti revolve, and if placed upon aliner, or othei surface, will roll thcreover. In the form o1 structureshown in Fig. 1, the sphere wil.-' roll in a straight line, inasmuch asthe frame with the suspended motor is arranged cen trally on the shaft15. To cause this sphem to IITove in a circle, it is only necessary tr'place the frame and motor near one cut of the shaft, as shown in Fig.The di ameter of the circular path of movement can 1 will thereforebe-clear that the means for fined curved path of rolling the sphere orbody also constitutes means for determining its path when. rolling, butin order to enhance interest in the device,said body or toy may he givena dea serpentine character. Thus in Fig. 4, disclosed a spherical casing28 having the supporting, winding, and driving shaft 2!) journalediliametrically therein, which shaft is provided at one end with a pawland ratchetconnection 30 with the casing, and has its other end angular,as illustrated at iii to receive a winding device. A fran'ie 32, hungfrom the shaft 29, supports thespring motor 3 :which geared, as shown at3 1 to the shaft, so that the mechanism, as thus far described, operatesas a propelling mechanism in exactly the same manner as that emlmdimentshown in Figs. 2, 3 and In this form (if the device, however, the meansor determining the path of the body or: toy. is a'shifting weight 35,preferably a lnall of lead or other heavy material, and this halloperates in a tunnel or guideway .36 formed within the casing. It willof course he understood that the guideway or "tunnel--t :a-n- :hearranged in .Varions ways. but'in auyevent, when the sphere isrollmgunder the action of the motor, the ball will remain at all times in thelowermost portion thereof. At the same time\ it will be guided back andforth, thus Ecausing the toy causing a pendulum-like lateral swing forthe casing, and hence determining a serpentine path for the same, asindicated in one of the diagrams of Fig. 9. The curvhture of such pathis determined not only by the arrangement of the guideway 06, but alsoby the relative weight of thehall and-the. motor. In fact, a phiglity ofsaid halls may he employed, so as to give a long scrpentine movement, ora-inovement in 'i'vhich the path is composed of closed or overlappingloops, as disclosed in Fig. 9. A slightly dili'erent means for securingthis serpentine path of movement is shown 1n llig. o.

In this :form of structure, the spherical casing is illustrated at 37,and contains a shaft 38, on which is loosely mounted a frame'39 havingan arm 40 extending therefrom. The shaft 38 is journale'd' in ln'ackets4.1, and one end of said shaft is squared, as shown at 42, to receive akey or other turning device.' Connected to this shaft, is a motor spring43, and a gear wheel 44 is also attached to said sliitft. The gear whcelt i meshes with a pinion 45 on an arbor 46 journaled in the framefl l,and this arbor carries a gear wheel 47 meshing with a pinion 48 fixed toone of the brackets 41 and having a clearance over the shaft 38. Thesaid arhor also has a beveled gear 49me'shing with a beveled gear 50that is fixed to an augularly disposed shaft 51. journaled in the frame3!), and carrying a curved sweep or arm 52, that has secured to its freeend a weight 53. \Vith this i'nechanism, it will be evident that whenthe shaft 38 is turned by the key. the spring 43 will he wound, andpreferably to avoid theturning of the frame and gearing, the casing hasan opening 54, through which can he temporarily passed a holdiigg pinthat engages a pin 56 on the arm 0.

or other surface, it will be evident that the sha ft 38 will he rotated,thereby rotating the arhor 4-H, and as said arbor will rotate the gear48. the casing will he turned and rolled over the surface on which it isplaced. At the same time, the shaft 51 will be rotated, thus sweepingthe weight 56 around in a circle and causing the sphere to have a doubleserpentine path of movement, and in fact causing the same to describethe figure 8, as shown in one of the diagrams of Fig. 9. As will .beunderstood, this form of the invention necessarily includes the usualpawl'and ra'tchetdevice '38, having the functions of the correspondingpawl and ratchet in all other forms of the invention.

In Fig. 6, mechanism is disclosed for to have a spiral path of movement.In this form of structure, the spherical casing is designated 57, andjour- Iialcd diametrically therein. is the usual shaft- 58, having anexposed angular end When the spring has thus been, wound. and the deviceis placed upon a floor 59, whereby it may be rotated. A dog and ratchetconnection 60 is provided bet-ween the shaft and the casing. Looselyhung from this shaft is a frame 61, carrying a spring motor 62, gearedas shown at 63 to t e shaft. The said shaft is furthermore provided witha spiral groove 64, and a weight 65 having a projection 65? engaging inthe groove, is suspended from the shaft 59, and is of course movedalong, the shaft, when'the latter is rotated. The parts are so arrangedthat when the spring is unwound, the weight 65 will be at one end of thegroove 64. Consequently when the shaft is turned to wind the motor, theweight will be caused to traverse the shaft to the other end of thegroove. Upon placing the sphere or toy upon a surface and releasing theshaft 58, therefore itwill be obvious that said shaft will be held in atilted position by the weight 65, and the sphere will travel in a curvedpath having a gradually varyingdiameter, inasmuch as the weight willtravel along the shaft.

Finally, attention is invited to Fig. 7, wherein a structure isillustrated having means for determining a path of movement for the toy,yet making such path variable. A spherical casing 66 is employed, inwhich is journaled the usual shaft 67, having a dog and ratchetconnection 68 with the casing, and hung from this shaft, is the frame 69containing a motor 70 geared, as illustrated at 71,*to the shaft 67.

The path determining weight or ball 68 is arranged loosely within thecasing, and said casing has a series of inwardly extending fingers orprojections 69, which engage the ball upon the rolling movement of thecasing, thus causing said ball to roll to different indeterminatepositions within the easing, and causing constant variations in the.

path of the toy.

From the foregoing, construction, operation tages of the hereindescribed invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, withitis thought that the and many advan-.

out further description, and it will hennderstood that various changesin the size,

and minor details 6f conshape, proportion,

resorted to without destruction, may be parting from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus fully described my inven-' tion, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a toy of the character set forth, the combination with a sphericalcasing, of a shaft journaleddiametrically therein, a dog and ratchetconnection between the shaft and easing, said shaft having 011;! endformed to receive, a key, a frame loosely hung solely from the shaft, aspring motor journaled in the frame, said frame and motor being heldagainst rotation by their own weight and gearing con necting the motorand shaft.

2. In a toy of the character set forth, the

and being accessibh; to,

combination with a rolling spherical body,

of a rotary shaft journaled in the body, a motor geared to the shaft forrolling the body,

when rolled and means for preventing rotation of the shaft in onedirection.

3. In a toy shaft journaled therein and having an. ex posed end forrotating it with respect to the body, a dog and ratchet connectionbetween the shaft and body, a motor loosely hung from the shaft andgeared thereto, means movably mounted within the body for de terminingits path of movement when rolled, and means engaging said pathdetermining means for governing the direction of movement thereof.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

JOSEPH GERPJSH AYERS, JR.

\Vitnesses:

WALTON BoU'rnLLn FULLER, ANDREW ALFRED BAKER.

of the character set forth, the, combination with a spherical body, of ameans other than the motor for determining the path of movement of thebody

